Trump asks Supreme Court to prevent IRS from handing over his tax returns
![Former President Donald Trump seen in 2019.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sGVX7sbN95JAniJ6meSXte-415-80.jpg)
Former President Donald Trump filed a request with the Supreme Court on Monday to prevent the Internal Revenue Service from releasing his tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Trump's filing asked the nation's highest court to step in after a federal appeals court ruled that the IRS could legally hand over his tax returns to the Democrat-helmed committee, which has authority over taxation law.
"The Committee's purpose in requesting [former] President Trump's tax returns has nothing to do with funding or staffing issues at the [IRS]," Trump's legal team wrote in the filing. "This case raises important questions about the separation of powers that will affect every future President."
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The filing added, "No Congress has ever wielded its legislative powers to demand a President's tax returns," however, this is because every modern president since Richard Nixon has voluntarily made their tax returns public, something Trump has refused to do.
Trump's filing comes as the looming midterms could put a stop to the years-long investigation into the former president's tax returns. This would particularly be likely if Republicans gain control of the House, in which case CNBC noted they would likely end the Ways and Means Committee's efforts to uncover Trump's taxes.
However, this would likely not spell the end of legal troubles for Trump. Sources within the GOP told The Hill that Republicans are expecting the Justice Department to indict Trump "within 60 to 90 days after [the midterms]" on charges related to classified documents kept at his Mar-a-Lago home.
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Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
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